Culled from Actu 24
An American citizen of Cameroonian origin, Mba Ndewa Derogy Leotard, has been incarcerated at the Kondengui central prison in Yaoundé for 32 days following a rental dispute involving Cameroon’s ambassador to France, Magnus Ekoumou.
According to information revealed by whistleblower Boris Bertolt, Mba Ndewa Derogy Leotard and his partner Amber Murray, both American nationals, arrived in Cameroon in November 2024 and paid a security deposit of 2 million FCFA to rent a property in the upscale Bastos neighborhood in Yaoundé, owned by Magnus Ekoumou, the current Cameroonian ambassador to France.
This deposit was reportedly handed over to Maffo Stéphanie, described as the property’s housekeeper. However, when it came time to move in, the couple was allegedly denied access to the house despite having made preparations.
In response to this situation, Amber Murray reportedly made a video accusing the ambassador’s wife of attempted fraud, although available information indicates the sum was given to the housekeeper and not the diplomat’s wife. The security deposit was later returned to the couple after they were informed they could not occupy the property.
It is this video that reportedly led to legal proceedings initiated by Magnus Ekoumou and his wife against the couple for defamation and other charges.
A troubling aspect of this case is the delay between the alleged events and the initiation of legal proceedings. While the incident reportedly occurred in November 2024, it was not until March 2025, five months later, that the couple was summoned to the central police station no. 1 in Yaoundé.
While Amber Murray, an American citizen, was released after this summons, her partner Mba Ndewa Derogy Leotard, also an American national but of Cameroonian origin, was referred to the Yaoundé court of first instance and then incarcerated at the Kondengui central prison by the prosecutor, described as a friend of Ambassador Ekoumou.
Even more surprising, the case was handled under the summary offense procedure, despite the five months that had passed since the alleged events, and for acts mainly related to defamation, raising questions about the regularity of the procedure.
This case takes on an international dimension with the involvement of the U.S. Department of State, which is reportedly seized of the matter. The detention of an American citizen under these conditions could have consequences on diplomatic relations between Cameroon and the United States.
Observers are questioning the alleged use of the judicial system in a private conflict involving a high-ranking Cameroonian diplomat, as well as the differential treatment given to the two American nationals.
